(Review originally written at 25 January 2008)
The jokes and comical moments are all performed in such an incredible high pace and very well timed and choreographed. The comical moments follow each other very rapidly. Big over-the-top hilarious situations as well as small subtle ones. You have no time to think about the one joke, since the next one is already occurring at that very moment. The movie is that fast going. Blink once and you'll miss something funny. This is slapstick film-making at its very best.
Charles Chaplin performs his role with great charisma and agility, It's a quite psychical movie for him. The movie features jumping, falling and climbing, as you would obviously expect from a '30's slapstick movie.
I must admit that a few of the Chaplin movies don't live up to their reputations but this one on the other hand really does. It's certainly one of the best comedies of the '30's and of all time. A true timeless comedy classic!
But as you would expect from a Chaplin movie, it also is a movie with lots of heart and humanity. No matter how crazy the movie gets in parts, the movie never loses any of its credibility when it comes down to its drama and pureness. The movie is also made in a more realistic style, rather than a comical one that clearly and also predictably builds up toward a comical situations. This makes the movie all the more hilarious and strengthens the comical moments.
The movie just doesn't only rely on its jokes and Chaplin antics but also has a great and compelling story of its own. It's a quite well written story, that moves over to a lot of different places and locations throughout and is therefore also loaded with lots of characters and situations. It makes the movie also very original.
An absolute delightful movie!
10/10
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